Normal, Other Than
by Madelynn Rae
Summary: Raze and his pack stumble upon a strange occurence. A girl is out of the norm for what she is. (PG-13 for language.)
1. Strange

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the {-} brackets are telepathic thoughts.

Raze and his pack roamed down the streets, on the hunt for food, and for Vampires, or as they liked to call them, Bloods. They weren't equipped to deal with Death Dealers, so they hoped they wouldn't have to mess with the likes of them. Raze sighed, disappointed his leader and good friend Lucian didn't come on the hunt with him, but he understood how busy he was. Raze wanted the war to be over as much as Lucian did.

Raze and his wolfed-out pack stood in their basic look-out positions in an alley, spread out, standing on balconies and buildings. He pricked his ears up, smelling a Blood, but overlapping that smell was a group of humans. Three, maybe four of them were around. His forehead wrinkled in confusion when he saw 5 kids, no younger than 16, walk into the alley. He could still smell that spicy, peppery Vampire smell, but he could also smell the fleshy scent of the humans. Raze looked up at Braek, his younger brother.

{_Raze: Do you smell that?_}

{_Braek: Yes, a Blood. But I don't see it anywhere… Do you?_}

Raze thought for a moment and looked at the group of kids. One of them, the shortest of them, seemed much different from the rest. She didn't have the normal blemishes an oily, pimple-riddled teenager would have, in fact, she had none at all, and her skin was so white. Make-up? _It can't be, she doesn't look powdered,_ he thought. Her eyes were a deep brick color, intense and plain at the same time, and her hair was curly and deep coppery-auburn, and it hung down to her shoulders. Raze looked back up at Braek.

{_Raze: The smallest! She's a blood! Can you smell it on her?_}

Braek looked at Raze, confused, then looked down and focused on the red-head. She grinned, and just as Raze had suspected, she had fangs. They weren't extended to full length; they were at rest. Braek tilted his head, even more confused. She wasn't dressed like other Vampires; she didn't wear the black vinyl. Instead she wore tight, long flare jeans and a blue Ralph Lauren shirt. Braek looked up at Raze.

{_Braek: Surely the humans would have noticed the teeth! Why do I not smell fear?_}

Raze simply shook his head to indicate the obvious knowledge that he really didn't know.

{_Raze: Let's keep an eye on her_.}

Then, almost as if hearing them, the girl who had to have been 17 or 18, looked up. She seemed to gaze directly at Raze. He saw her nostrils flare a bit; she had smelled him. The humans around her stopped and looked at her.

"Hungry, Alex?"

They laughed at their own joke. She smirked a little, then looked back at her group of humans.

"Always… I haven't quite learned to control it, but I'm getting better."

Braek looked at Raze, shocked.

{Braek: _They know. They know what she is, and still they walk with her?_}

{Raze: _I'm confused too… let's keep an eye on her, and maybe in a month we'll ask her some questions._}

Alex looked up. She didn't see the animal she smelled, but she knew it, what ever it was, was up there. It smelled like a dog, but also like a man. Her friends made some sort of comment at her, and she laughed and replied. She loved her friends, and they seemed to love her as well. After all, they stuck with her when they found out what happened. She had been living in an abandoned house. She fixed it up quite nicely; her friends helped her with it. Luckily it was away from the city, hidden in some trees, so it would have to be found before it could be condemned. Her family thought she was dead, as did most of the school. The secret was kept between just her and her friends. She couldn't trust anyone else.

Her boyfriend, Matt, had gone missing a few months before her… 'incident.' She wondered if he had suffered the same fate, but wouldn't she have found him by now if that were the case? She cried so much when she found out he was gone, and cried every night after. She still cried. He had been the only thing good in her life, and hopefully he still was. She hated talking about him like he was dead… but somewhere in her heart she knew he wasn't. No body was found. Some of his blood was found somewhere in the same alley she walked in, but no body. She had not given up hope that he was alive, but still, time without him was so completely unbearable.

Once at her home, she sat on the front steps and gazed up at the full moon.

I'll find you, Matt, she thought to herself, _if it's the last thing I do._

__

To be continued. Sorry there's no Michael or Selene yet. And yes, I know Lucian would be dead if Michael and Selene were paired up, but I think my story is basically right during the time of the movie, where they first meet and stuff. Of course, my story probably won't go the way the movie ended, but eh. Lol Read and review!


	2. Coincidence

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the {-} brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

Alex lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She saw a few small beams of light coming in through the windows she boarded up; luckily they didn't reach her. She rolled onto her side and curled up, sighing. It was hard to try and sleep during the day; she still hadn't quite eased into that routine. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping maybe then the sleep would come… nope. Growling, frustrated, she got up and walked into a different room where she kept a lot of her books. She had lots of books, lots of CDs, and other things. She needed _something_ to keep her busy during the day.

Truth was, she preferred not to sleep. Every time she did, she dreamt of him, of Matt. He'd be standing over her, yelling at her, screaming at her, accusing her. His eyes would burn into hers with such disgust and hatred. She would wake up crying, drenched in sweat, and shaking.

She walked over to her collection of audio books and grabbed _The Breathing Method_, written by Stephen King and read by Frank Muller. She'd listened to it so many times, and still, the end of McCarron's story in the book chilled and shocked her. She picked up her walkman and her headphones, walked back into her room, and curled up in bed. She put the first tape in, and within minutes, drifted off to sleep.

Raze, Braek, and the rest of the group returned to the full pack, all back to their human forms. Braek didn't look much of anything like his brother Raze; they even had different skin colors. Braek was a deep tan, with piercing green eyes and tawny hair. He was built a bit smaller, too. He was lean and sinewy, while Raze was all brute strength.

Braek pulled off his trenchcoat and tossed it over his shoulder, then went to sit with one of the younger pack members. The younger one had sandy hair and blue-gray eyes, and while he was a bit shorter than everyone else at 5'10", he was built pretty well. It wasn't hard to see he'd once been a farm-type. He was about 21.

"Tonight," Braek started, "we saw something quite interesting: a vampire intermixing with humans." The younger one looked confused.

"Intermixing… ?"

"No, not like that, you sick minded pup. She was walking with a group of humans, as though she was one… the humans even seemed to know what she was." Braek looked over at Raze talking to Lucian. He was sure Raze was telling their leader the same story.

The younger lycan snorted, smirking.

"She'll probably eat them once she's bored with them; damned vampires, they don't care about anything or anyone but themselves." Braek laughed.

"Got that one right, Matt. For having only been a lycan for half a year, you catch on quick. For coming into this during the war, you're handling it quite well." Matt, the younger, nodded, looking at the ground sullenly. Braek elbowed him.

"What's wrong, comrade?"

"I…" he paused, sighing for a moment. "I miss her." Braek nodded and slung an arm around the young lycan's neck.

"I'm sure you do… and I wish there was something I could do, but from as small and delicate as you say your beloved is, she wouldn't last one moment in this war. Have you at least kept watch on her?" Matt shook his head.

"No… Maybe if I not see her, I'll move on." Braek nodded.

"Well," he said cheerily, "I see Manda has been keeping an eye on you; I'm sure she'd love to make you forget." Braek grinned and nodded off in the direction of a shapely female about Matt's age. She had sea-green eyes and long, shampoo-commercial blond hair. Matt turned to look at her, then kind of shrugged and looked back at Braek.

"Not really my type… but we'll see." Braek looked thoughtfully at the ground.

"Well, my friend, what is your type?" Matt smiled to himself, almost sort of a sorrowful, reminiscing smile.

"_Her_ type… Red hair, petite, big brown eyes…" Braek's eyes narrowed a moment, as he remembered the girl in the alleyway. Alex, her friends called her. Could this be who Matt was talking about? Braek knew he wouldn't dare tell him. He'd grown to hate the vampires so much already, to find that his love had become one would crush him… perhaps anger him. _But_, he thought to himself, _maybe it isn't her._

"And this girl…" he said carefully, "… what was her name?" Matt smiled.

"Alex."

To be continued… Read and review pleeeaaassseee!!!! Tell me what you think!! And I'm sorry it still hasn't gotten to Selene/Michael yet. It will, I promise!


	3. Forever

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for all 2 reviews! lol

Ackuchi: Description WILL get better, I promise. I don't wanna put too much description though… I'm a huge Anne Rice fan, but I noticed one time she had a whole page describing the Venetian blinds in a room, and I'm not interested in the blinds unless they really have something to do with the story. lol

Wild Dog: Well, I'm sorry, but eventually Selene and Michael WILL be in it, they just won't play a very big part. I like the Selene/Michael pairing, but when everyone does a Selene/Michael story, it gets a bit tiring. As for not wanting hybrids… I really like the hybrid idea, and the way the hybrid looked in the movie was awesome, I really like the idea of a hybrid. I don't really like how they make it seem invincible, because that's what roleplay chat people would call 'moding' I think. It's been a while since I went to a RP forum/chat. :)

Keep those reviews coming, and if you have ideas on where the story should go, make sure you tell me!

* * *

The next night, Raze and his team were out on the prowl again. This time, however, they weren't looking so much for food as they were for Alex. Braek told Raze the night before about Matt. Raze wasn't really surprised; he didn't know why it didn't surprise him, it just simply didn't.

Matt wanted to go with them. When the rest of the group was suiting up and grabbing weapons, he walked in and started pulling on a coat and some guns. Braek noticed, then walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe you shouldn't, Matt…"

"Please? I really want a shot at this Blood. She can't be too hard to take down."

"No one's taking her down," Raze's large, booming voice interrupted, "we're simply going to follow her, watch where she goes, what she does… If we have reason to believe she isn't involved in Kraven's coven, perhaps we'll talk to her."

Matt sighed.

"At least let me come. I've finished my training, I finished it way faster than anyone else has, you even told me so."

Braek cast a look at Raze, pleading with him not to let Matt come… Raze heaved a sigh, his blue eyes cast to the ground.

"Get your guns… we're leaving in a half hour."

* * *

Alex sat in her room, waiting for her friends to come get her and tell her it's night. They were going partying. That's usually where Alex fed. She'd go to a party and lure some poor, drunken frat boy into a room. She'd only drink about a pint, and then she'd find another and drink from him. She didn't believe in killing her prey, and they were too groggy to notice anything was happening to them. She wouldn't bite, either, because she didn't want to turn anyone. She believed that maybe saliva transferring into the blood would turn, and she didn't want that. She'd bleed her victim into a cup, seal the wound with a few drops of her own blood, then continue on talking and drinking as if nothing happened. If he asked what had just happened, she'd simply look at him like he was crazy, explain that she found a bottle of red wine somewhere, and tell him he must have been 'seein' shit.' They were drunk enough that they'd just agree with it.

She looked around her room. It had a very old look to it, but she was able to jazz it up a little. Her bed was a canopy bed, with deep purple translucent drapes and black sheets and comforters. The floor was simply wooden, as was basically the rest of the room. It was drafty; luckily there was a fireplace. She yawned and stretched out on her bed, laying on her side. She wore mid-riff, sheer black halter top and red vinyl pants, with cute little black stilettos with little silver bats on them. Her brick eyes had the reddish tint from an impending blood-lust. When she her hunger was satisfied and she was basically intent, her eyes were a hazel-brown. Around her eyes her makeup was a smokey, shimmery blue-green kohl, with ice-blue eyeshadow. She didn't need mascara; her eyelashes were naturally very long and thick. She didn't need foundation, either; when she was turned, her skin became so pale and perfect and even-colored, it already looked like she was wearing it. She didn't have any lipstick. She always thought lipstick was pointless. On her slender, long-fingered hands were four rings; on her right middle finger was a mood ring she had gotten from a Hot Topic a year or so ago, on her right index was her class ring with an amethyst stone, and on her left index was a best friend ring, which was holding on another ring a size too big for her. The last ring was her ring from Matt; he wore the matching one. It was pewter, and on it was engraved the words 'REAL LOVE IS FOREVER' and 'The Crow.' The Crow was _their_ movie.

She looked down at her Crow ring, she called it her engagement ring, and a single tear escaped down her cheek.

"I miss you," she whispered.

* * *

Matt looked down at his ring. It hung on a long chain around his neck. If he wolfed-out, the ring would otherwise cut off his circulation. He twirled it in his fingers, reading the engraving:

REAL LOVE IS FOREVER

He growled a little, almost angrily. _We can't have our forever anymore, now can we?_ He thought. Sure, he was grateful that the strength and immortality that was given to him, but he hated it also, because it took him away from his love, his soulmate.

"It's just shitty irony, isn't it Matt?"

Matt turned to see Braek standing there.

"You have your forever, but what good does it do if you don't have your love to share it with you?"

Matt looked at the ground, trying to fight back tears. Braek put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?"

Looking up and squeezing the ring in the palm of his hand, fighting back tears, he nodded.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

* * *

Yet again, to be continued. I was more descriptive! lol A whole paragraph dedicated to Alex's outfit, make-up, etc. :P It was fun.


	4. Hunt

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

Alex's friends, two larger guys and three girls, showed up and found her crying on her bed. Katie, a tall and slender brunette, sat by her and rubbed her back. The two boys, Brendan and Tom, stood there awkwardly, and the other two girls, Kayla and Meike, crowded her and whispered soothingly. Alex sat up, pushing back strands of her long, curly, copper hair and wiping tears from her eyes. Meike took her hand, and Katie tucked a strand of Alex's curls behind her ear.

"Matt?"

Alex nodded, sniffling and wiping away tear-stains. Kayla, always the up-beat and fun one, grabbed her hand and pulled her up off the bed.

"C'mon, 'Xandria, we need to get you out of this cold, depressing place and get you bumpin' and grindin' with world-class hotties!"

Alex smiled a little.

"Sounds like a plan; let's get out of this hell-hole."

* * *

Matt, Braek, Raze, and the rest of the group walked through the darkened, damp streets, trying to pick up the intermingled scent of a vampire and some humans. Matt lagged behind with the rest of the pack, while Braek and Raze walked ahead, whispering amongst each other.

"What if we find her and it is the Alex Matt speaks of?" Braek asked. Raze shrugged.

"I don't know… but whatever happens, we can't let ourselves be seen, and we especially can't let her see Matt or let Matt go after her. We don't know if she's with Kraven."

Braek stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat, looking down at the ground.

Matt walked behind, his ring clutched in his hand. The group whispered quietly to one another, wondering if they would really catch sight of this child-vamp again. Matt sniffed the air… and caught a scent. It was Alex's favorite perfume, ADIDAS Moves. He quickened his pace, passing Braek and Raze. The two brothers looked at each other, confused, then grabbed Matt by his shoulders.

"What is it?" Braek whispered. Matt didn't look at him; he kept staring straight ahead.

"Alex's perfume! I can smell it, she's not far! I have to see her, I can't take it anymore…" Breaking away, he speed-walked, and the rest of the pack followed. Turning a corner, his heart stopped. There she was, his fire goddess… his Alexandria. Coming to his senses, not wanting to be seen, he ducked back into the corner, but kept watching. She looked more beautiful than ever… but he couldn't place why, but something was different. Then he smelled it; the vampire smell. He wrinkled his nose. _The stench, more like it…_ He glanced around, seeing no one else but Alex, her friends, and the rest of the pack. The spicy smell grew stronger and stronger as she came closer. As she reached the alleyway, her manner went from cheerful, to alert. She knew he was there.

Braek: She can smell you, Matt… She's one of THEM now… she's a Blood.

The younger lycan turned around to look at Braek, the shock evident on his face… and the pain.

* * *

Alex walked down the street, talking and smiling, when she smelled it. First it was cologne… Matt's cologne, his special scent, the smell that used to put her in such a daze. She came to a dead halt, and her friends stopped too.

"What is it, Alex?"

Alex turned her face to the alley. Her eyes were not completely trained yet, and all she saw was darkness, but she could smell him… that, and that same dog smell from the other night.

"Matt…" she whispered inaudibly. When no one answered, she snapped back to reality and looked at her friends, smiling.

"Nothing… just kinda got struck dumb for a moment."

When they looked at her skeptically, she laughed a bit nervously.

"Well, hey, there's a party, isn't that where we're going?" They shrugged, laughing a bit too, and continued walking.

Alex may have left the scene of the incident… but thoughts of him, so freshly renewed from the scent of his Axe body spray, flooded through her mind in rivers and torrents. _Was it him…? _she thought to herself...

* * *

Braek took Matt by the arm and led him away from the sidewalk, deeper into the alley.

"We were almost seen! We could've--"

"How many?"

Braek cocked an eyebrow at his young friend, confused.

"What?" Matt growled, annoyed, angered, frustrated, and full of sudden hate for reasons he couldn't explain.

"How many do you think she's killed, fed upon?" Braek looked at the ground.

"We don't know… and I suppose we won't know until we ask her."

"Well then let's ask. Let's follow her to this party… I can lure her out, we'll bring her back to the den and question her."

Braek and Raze looked at each other, worried. Matt was acting rash, insane even. Raze looked at Matt.

"Fine. Let's follow her."

* * *

Alex and her friends were having a blast. Alex was, especially. It had been a while since she felt so good. She'd already had a few cups of 'The Juice' as she liked to call it, and she was getting tipsy from the alcohol in the blood. She danced, and what dancing it was. Her hips swirled and swayed, she twisted and turned like the flame she felt so well represented her. As a vampiress, she also assumed the identity of the seductress, the enchantress. Boys and men alike crowded around her, intoxicated not only by their drinks but by this cobra of a young woman. Sweat made her skin glisten, skin that had taken on fake color from the very slight red tint in her perspiration from the blood she drank. She laughed throatily, glancing around to see who would be her next fix. Smirking, she closed her eyes danced to the slow, dance-mix beat of the music.

Her eyes shot open as she smelled it again, the Axe, somewhere behind her. She glanced around, but saw no one but the usual group of frat boys. She smiled a bit and shook her head, laughing at her stupid hope she still clung to. _Back to the music_, she thought, and began to dance and slither like a charmed snake; only, in this case, she was the charmer.

Large arms wrapped loosely around her waist, and the thick scent of leather and Axe filled her nostrils. She smiled and closed her eyes, not bothering to turn around. She and the mysterious partner swayed sensually, but… something didn't feel right. She felt no emotion coming from the man behind her. Once she tensed up cautiously, her mystery man disappeared. She turned, glancing around the place, and caught a glimpse of someone standing in the corner. The Axe smell was coming from the corner, but with all the people around who seemed to be taller than the both of them, she never got a good look at his face. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

She followed the smell closely; she _couldn't_ lose that smell, she refused to. She stepped out into the cold, damp night air as thousands of other smells hit her, but still, she didn't lose the smell of her love's body spray. Following it blindly, she glided through parked cars and trucks. She turned around the corner of a van, the smell now _very_ strong, but the arms that suddenly grabbed her around the waist were stronger, and a damp cloth with ether was smashed against her face. As a vampire, she didn't have to breathe, but of course she gasped in from the surprise, and then her whole world went black.

* * *

**To be continued some more. :P**


	5. Interrogation

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

Blurry… she could make out a few figures… one figure sitting on a chair in the corner, hunched over, head in hands, one tall, lean figure pacing worriedly, one tall, dark figure standing to the left of her general view, and someone standing right in front of her.

Alex blinked, groaning. A bright light shone above her; a hanging lightbulb. Her eyes adjusted, and she saw a pale, bearded man with longish black hair and black eyes. He wore a gold and jade medallion around his neck. She looked up at him, trying to focus more. He smiled warmly.

"Hello. My name is Lucian. I'd shake your hand, but they seem to be tied up."

Frowning, Alex moved around a bit, to find she'd been tied to a chair. She laughed in a sarcastic manner.

"Yes, so it seems."

She looked around some more… the figure hunched in a chair in the corner gave her a sense of deep familiarity. She couldn't see his face, his head was down, but she did see something around his neck…

"So, if Raze and his friends are correct, you're a vampire, aren't you?"

Snapping her head back to look at Lucian, she nodded.

"Yeah." Pulling up another chair, Lucian sat in front of her.

"Who made you?" She chuckled.

"My mom and dad, generally. Oh, you mean who turned me? That, I really don't know. I think the guy was kinda crazy. I know he turned me on purpose; if it were an accident, he wouldn't have stayed with me and told me the things he did. Strange things."

Lucian leaned in, taking an interest.

"What things?"

Alex smirked.

"Stupid things… about a war, things like, 'beware of dog' and such. Nothing too specific and coherent."

"So you _do_ know about the war?"

Alex shrugged.

"Barely… It's between werewolves and vampires, that's all I know… and I really don't want to be a part of it, so if you're going to kill me, you can at least tell me what it's all about… who started it, why, things like that. I don't feel like dying for a cause I didn't contribute to."

"And what about people you've killed?" the voice from the corner asked. "I'm sure they had family, friends, people who would miss them very much… and they died for your cause, for your hunger. What about them?" The figure lifted its head.

Alex gasped, her eyes widening, then brimming with tears.

"M-Matt?"

"Answer my question!"

She lowered her head, looking at the ground. Lucian turned to the young lycan in the corner.

"Leave her alone, Matthew."

"No," Alex said softly, "I'll answer his question." She looked up at him, blood tears now streaming freely down her cheeks. Matt stared her down without even the slightest emotion in his face.

"Do you want to know how many people I've killed? _IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW?_" Alex's eyes were a brilliant, electric, frightening blue. This time, Matt had to look away. The pain and anger in her eyes was too much.

"I'll tell you how many I've killed, _darling_," she spat the last word bitterly. "None. I've killed no one. Not one human has died by my hand."

She looked up at Lucian.

"I want to know everything about this war. I want to know everything about myself, what I can do. I want to know what _you_ can do. And I want to fight this war… alongside the lycans."

All eyes were on her now, in shock. All were surprised; all but Lucian. He smiled kindly and walked around, untying her.

"Very well. If things go _my_ way, however, the war will be over very soon."

Alex stood up, dusting off her vinyl pants. Lucian walked around in front of her.

"So, what did you say your name was, my dear?"

"Alexandria Corvin."

* * *

Yes, short chapter, I know. I've been busy. Was a good chapter, no?

Kate & Nameless1010: Thanks so much for your reviews, I'm glad you're liking it. :) Keep on reading and telling me what you think!


	6. Water and Oil

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

To Nameless1010: hehe yes! I never used to really reply back to people who reviewed my stuff, but I'm having a lot of fun now. J As for Alex having a weakness, of course she has one, and the fun thing about novels, fics, or any kind of literature, it takes time before the weakness is really found out, if you want a really good character. I would have thought her weakness would be obvious by now. Enjoy!

To Alicia: Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

* * *

Raze and Braek stood on either side of Alex, leading her through the leaky tunnels underneath the city. Braek kept glancing at her, smiling. At first she didn't notice, but then it started to make her uncomfortable, and _then_ it started to annoy her. She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

He grinned at her, kinda blushing a bit.

"You haven't killed a single human, not one?"

She shook her head.

"How do you feed, then?"

Still walking, she smiled up at him.

"I only take a little from a lot of people, rather than taking a lot from one person. And I don't bite, 'cause the way I figure it, biting can turn people I guess. I bleed them into a cup and seal up the wound with my own blood. How do you feed? Like, as in lycans, what do you eat? You all seem very against hurting humans."

She turned to glare at Matt, who was looking at the floor, feeling kind of bad, but still having that instinctive hate for her… all because of what she was.

"Well, if we're having a little tussle with vampires, we'll eat them when we kill them, but on normal nights, we go hunting for food, depending on what season it is. We try to stay away from livestock, that doesn't belong to us, but if it's deer season we'll go hunting, pheasant season, whatever season it is for the humans."

Alex smiled approvingly.

"That's awesome that you're so considerate of humans. I personally don't think humans deserve it. Hell, I hated humans when I was one."

Braek laughed a little.

"Yes, but if you look at both of our species, we're no better. I think this war is absolutely stupid. I can't wait for it to be over."

Raze stopped.

"Here we are."

Alex tilted her head.

"Huh?"

"Your room."

She giggled.

"Oh. Well, thanks."

She started to walk in, but Raze put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Matt will be guarding you."

Alex and Matt screamed in unison, "WHAT?!"

"I'm sure the other Lycans won't be too pleased to know there is a Vampire in our midst. Matt, it'll be your job to guard her."

Matt scowled, then kicked at the ground. Alex turned to look at him. She wanted to hate him, to be mad at him for not trying to see her once he'd gone missing, to hate him for hating her… but God, she still loved him. She missed his smell, the way it felt when he held her, the amazing electricity that shot through her when they kissed, and everything else. She was going to go completely insane.

* * *

Images from Brandon Lee's "The Crow" flickered on the television screen in the dark basement. Alex lay snuggled, almost asleep, in the arms of her Matthew, who had fallen completely asleep. Carefully, she sat up, watching him. She smiled, running her fingers through his hair.

"I love you," she whispered. "You're not even mine yet… but I love you with all my soul."

* * *

Two nights after that Halloween, they officially started going out. Two years after that… you couldn't put them in the same room without the thick tension of awkwardness and anger.

* * *

There we go. :) Another short chapter, but eh.


	7. Breathing

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

Alex sat in her new room, looking around. It was actually warmer than her old home, just kind of dreary is all, and plain. To one wall was a single-person creaky old bed, next to it a small table with a lantern. The doors weren't much; they were openings with curtains draped in them. It made her a bit scared; for the past year, she had been having so much trouble sleeping. It wasn't just because of her nightmares of Matt, but things just scared her and made her paranoid. 

She lay down and snuggled under the covers, curling up tightly. They had given her a gown of some sort to wear to bed, but she felt safer sleeping in her clothes.

Lying there, she felt more scared than ever to go to sleep. The surroundings were completely new, the tunnels were teeming with Lycans just waiting to pounce and rip her throat out… and while Matt was there to guard her, she didn't know how good he'd be about it. _Hell, he'd probably let people just walk right in,_ she thought to herself.

Shivering, she pulled the covers tighter around herself. _Maybe he'll be the one to kill me._

She turned off the lantern. In the darkness, she wept.

* * *

Matt sat outside Alex's room, playing his Gameboy Advance SP, the volume turned down low. When he was allowed to go back and get some stuff, he grabbed some of his clothes, his guitar and amplifier, and his Gameboy. 

He heard a sound… it was quiet, but it was enough to catch his attention. He snapped shut his Gameboy, turning it off, and listened. It was the sound of crying.

He sighed and slumped his shoulders. _Great._ He sat and waited, and after a few minutes, her crying stopped.

Leaning his head against the wall, he listened to her breathe. He could tell by the way she breathed if she was asleep or not, and he could do that _before_ he got his heightened sense of hearing. Listening to the way she breathed, a song popped into his head. It was one of her favorite songs, and she used to sing it to him.

I'm finding my way back to sanity again  
Though I don't really know what I'm gonna do when I get there  
Take a breath and hold on tight  
Spin around one more time  
And gracefully fall back to the arms of grace

'Cause I am hanging on every word you're sayin'  
And even if you don't wanna speak tonight, that's alright, alright with me  
'Cause I want nothing more than  
To sit outside Heaven's door and listen to you breathing  
It's where I wanna be, yeah, where I wanna be

I'm lookin' past the shadows in my mind  
Into the truth and I'm tryin' to identify the voices in my head  
God I wish it were you  
Let me feel one more time what it feels like to feel  
And break these calluses off of me one more time  
  
'Cause I am hanging on every word you're sayin'  
And even if you don't wanna speak tonight, that's alright, alright with me  
'Cause I want nothing more than  
To sit outside your door and listen to you breathing  
It's where I wanna be, yeah

I don't want a thing from you  
I bet you're tired of me waiting for  
The scraps to fall off of your table to the ground  
La da da, la da, la da, la da  
'Cause I just wanna be here now  
  
'Cause I am hanging on every word you're saying  
And even if you don't wanna speak tonight that's alright, alright with me  
'Cause I want nothing more than  
To sit outside Heaven's door and listen to you breathing  
It's where I wanna be, yeah  
  
'Cause I am hanging on every word you're saying  
And even if you don't wanna speak tonight that's alright, alright with me  
'Cause I want nothing more than  
To sit outside Heaven's door and listen to you breathing  
It's where I wanna be, yeah

Where I wanna be…

Where I wanna be…

Matt sighed, thinking how weird it was that the words fit exactly what he was feeling. He loved her so much, the human half of him did, but the Lycan side felt repulsed by her. This early in his Lycanhood, the Lycan side was winning.

He focused his attention back on her breathing; she was finally asleep. _Now what,_ he thought. _I waited for her to fall asleep, now what?_ Would he leave her and go to his own room? Would he sneak in and bite her (which, with one bite, could immediately kill her)? The two halves of him raged back and forth. Looking around, he crept in, bringing his folding chair in with him. He placed it next to her bed and sat down.

She was so beautiful when she slept. Her thick lashes left dark shadows, and her skin shimmered, reminding him of the surface of snow on a moonlit night. Reaching out, he tucked locks of her messy auburn curls behind her ear. He brushed his fingertips against her cheek slowly as he pulled his hand back. He took his big trench coat off and draped it over top of her, over the covers. Even when she was human, she was always cold; there was no way she could get warm enough. Feeling a bit chilly himself, he crept into her bed, nudging her over a little.

* * *

Matt lay on the futon in his basement, under the covers. Alex was next to him (they were both clothed). It was a Saturday night, and the rainstorm outside was so bad, he couldn't bear to think of her getting caught up in it and getting in a wreck on the country roads back into town, to her house. It was okay with both their parents, and so there they were, lying close together. She had already fallen asleep; the events from earlier that night were so tiring. They were in a band together, and she was the lead singer. They opened for Matt's uncle's band. It was their first street dance, and while there weren't many people there right away, Alex couldn't help but feel the energy, being on a stage, singing and screaming her heart out. He loved watching her sing to the sound of his guitar, and he especially loved the sound of her voice.

It was really hot that evening, almost unbearable, and then the storm came. It wasn't so bad at first, they drove to his house from the town they played in, but halfway there it really started to pour. He thanked God for that storm; he wouldn't have the opportunity to hold Alex in his arms and watch her sleep if not for the rain.

He smiled, cuddling close to her and touching her face. He leaned in and kissed her softly, then closed his eyes. He heard her move around a bit.

"I love you, Matt," she whispered.

Grinning, he held her close.

"I love you more." He opened his eyes, waiting for her to argue, but her eyes were shut again, and she slept with a warm, contented smile on her face. He smiled and shut his eyes again, hoping to meet her in their dreams.

* * *

Yay, longer chapter! By the way, the song was "Breathing" by Lifehouse, one of my favorites. Oh, also, I drew a picture of Matt and Alex and uploaded it to DeviantArt. The website for that is DeviantArt . com / deviation / 10625502


	8. The Human In Me

****

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

****

Alicia: Glad you're STILL liking it! :D I have fans! Yay!

Wild Dog: Yeah, I'm trying to make it fit the movie, it's just dragging along very slowly. Will be a long story.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm a crazy. Yes, I meant to say it like that; 'I'm a crazy.'

* * *

Alex couldn't breathe… A python wrapped around her waist, squeezing tighter and tighter, as the walls came closer and closer. _I can't breathe! Oh Goddess, I can't breathe! HELP! HEEELP!!!_

Gasping and opening her eyes, she realized she was dreaming… but that still didn't solve the breathing problem. Not that she needed to breathe, but she liked to; it made her feel so… not dead. She breathed in deep and squirmed, feeling arms wrapped tightly around her. Struggling and squirming a bit, she was able to turn herself around.

She sighed, but she didn't know if it was for relief, or something else. She watched him a moment and smiled softly, wrenching free an arm and touching his face. She figured, hey, this might be the only opportunity like this she'd ever have, so she might as well savor the moment.

She snuggled against him, warming up. His body heat felt great; you couldn't get a better, more comfortable feeling sitting in front of a fireplace. She leaned in, lightly touching her nose against his, and then she softly pressed her lips against his. When she pulled back, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I miss you."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her face in his chest and cried into his shirt.

* * *

Waking up, Matt felt a slight damp feeling on his chest. He blinked a little, trying to wake up and get his eyes to focus. He looked down and saw Alex clinging to him, her face nuzzled in his shirt. He assumed the dampness was either drool or tears. She felt him moving and looked up. _Yup,_ he thought to himself, _crying._ Matt pulled out of her arms and got out of bed, pulling on his coat.

Alex looked at him, confused.

"What--"

"You were cold… besides, there were others lurking in the hallway, thought it'd be easier to protect you in here."

She stared at him a moment, then looked at her hands in her lap, nodding, in an effort to hide welling tears. He watched her a moment, then turned to walk away.

"You know what?" Alex asked. Matt looked back at her, and she looked up at him, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. He winced a little, feeling bad.

"You see vampires as heartless, soulless, uncaring, and inhuman. To you, we have no feelings, and that we truly are what has physically become of us: dead."

"So?" His voice was unemotional, steady.

"So I can't understand why I still love you, if what is thought of vampires is true." She got up, still looking at him.

"Why are _you_ the one that feels nothing, and _I'm_ the one who would burn in sunlight just to be at your side?"

She paused, and he saw her teeth clench and her lips pull back, baring her fangs in anger, her eyes turning fierce.

"Why should I suffer with love for you who hates me?! WHERE'S THE HUMAN IN YOU?! _I STILL HAVE MINE!!"_ She screamed, grabbing his coat and throwing him to the ground. She pounced on him, hitting him with closed fists, her eyes squeezed shut. She hit and hit, blindly, furiously, and insanely, while he just shielded himself, taking it calmly and quietly. She started out screaming, but instantly tired herself out and was reduced to hysterical tears.

Still sitting on his stomach, she buried her face in her hands and cried, wailed was more like it. She cried like her most beloved had died, without a chance to tell them how she felt. To her, Matt had died.

Matt sat up and slowly embraced Alex, holding her close to his body, letting her cry into his chest. She squeezed him tightly, burying her face into his coat, trying to muffle herself. Matt gently ran his fingers through her hair, then rubbed her back, trying not to cry himself.

Once her crying had slowed down, her breath started to come in short hiccups from all the excitement and agitation. She looked up at him, mascara spread all around her eyes, making her look like a beautiful corpse. They stared into each others eyes for the longest time, each one wondering what the other would do next, what they were thinking, when finally Matt leaned forward, brushing his lips against her ear. He took in a breath and whispered…

* * *

****

Awww, tear. BUT THE STORY'S NOT OVER! It shall go on! Bwahaha!


	9. To Err is Human

****

Title: Normal, Other Than…

Author: Madelynn Rae

Description: Raze, Lucian, and some other Lycans are out on a hunt when they find a girl who is completely unlike what they know she really is. Two original characters, Selene/Michael. (Any words in the - brackets are telepathic thoughts.)

* * *

"I miss you too."

Alex pulled her head back, gazing wide-eyed into his eyes. _Does he mean it? Does he really want to be with me again? Oh Goddess, please let this be true, please don't let me be dreaming, please, please, please--_

"But we can't be together." Matt looked into her eyes, gripping her shoulders, holding her about a foot away. His expression showed him to be pleading with her, begging her to understand…

__

SLAP!

"GET OUT!" Alex screamed madly. She quickly stood up, kicking him sharply.

"GET OUT! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" He got up, trying to block her kicks.

"But Alex--"

"LEAVE! NOW!"

Growling, his eyes going solid blue, he pushed her forcefully. With a loud _thud_, she landed on the ground and slid across the concrete floor until she slammed into the wall. Grimacing and arching her back from the pain, she fell over sideways, curling up.

"Stupid vampire slut," he spat harshly, "you can seduce your little human friends and your victims, but you can't seduce me."

Shocked, she looked up at him, tears flowing down her cheeks again. _You can't mean that,_ her eyes said, _there's no way you can really mean that…_But his eyes said it all. He meant it, and if he didn't, he was a damn good actor.

Spinning on his heel, he stormed out, leaving a bruised, hurt, and bewildered Alex crumpled on the floor, crying softly, hiccuping every so often.

* * *

Lucian walked down the hall, deep in thought. His long black coat billowed behind him, and his head was down, strands of black hair falling in his eyes.

__

Alexandria Corvin? Could she be related to Michael? Could she possibly become a hybrid as well?

So many questions bombarded his mind, but his focus was broken when he heard soft, choked crying. He stopped, listening closer, and sniffed the air. He smelled blood, and he smelled tears. Looking around, he found himself in the hall they'd put Alex in.

Following the sound and the smell, he walked into a room to find Alex kneeling, hunched over on the floor, clutching her sides. Matt was nowhere to be seen. Lucian jogged towards where she knelt and sat beside her, rubbing her back.

"Alexandria, what's wrong? What happened? Did someone come in? Who? Where's Matt?"

Sobbing a little harder, she jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me! I… I'm filthy, I'm a slut, I'm a whore… I'm a _vampire_…"

Lucian's heart sank to his stomach. Someone had gotten to her, and whoever it could have been was going to be in a lot of trouble. The elder Lycan reached toward her again, taking one of her hands.

"Don't say that, you're none of those things. You're unique, Alexandria. In all of this, you are innocent. You don't blindly follow, you set your own pace, you _lead_. You're strong, it's others who are filthy and weak." He lifted her chin, turning her face toward him. Her cheeks were stained with blood, both old and dry from earlier tears, and wet with a fresh flow. He took a cloth out of his pocket and wiped her face clean, then stored the cloth in his coat, hoping that a sample of dried blood would work just as well as fresh blood. If not, he was sure she'd donate for the cause.

Looking away from his coat pocket and back into her eyes, he noticed how much she reminded him of Sonja… Blinking and shaking those thoughts away, he pulled her close to him, gently, as not to disturb her freshly bruised back and ribs, so they could heal more properly.

Still hiccuping a bit, she succumbed to his kindness. After she had calmed down, Lucian helped her into bed, and he sat in the chair beside her.

"Alexandria? I need you to tell me who did this to you. What did he look like?"

She looked at him for a moment, then turned away, snuggling under the covers.

"I don't know…"

Of course, Lucian didn't believe this one bit.

"Fine then… I know Matt was supposed to be guarding your room, where is he? Where was he when you were attacked?"

Watching her body language, he saw her shift uncomfortably. She didn't answer. He sighed, then nodded.

"Right then… well, get some sleep. I'll have Braek watch you, he seems to like you enough."

She barely smiled, but she _did_ smile. She liked Braek too. He was reasonable, not irrational.

"I like him too… thank you, Sir." She turned, looking at him. He stood in the doorway for a moment, smiling back.

"Please, my name is Lucian. Just between us, you can call me Lucy."

She giggled a little, and that put a smile on 'Lucy's' face.

"Sleep well, child."

* * *

The next morning, Lucian sought out Braek. He was in his chambers, of course, sleeping; his bloody snores could be heard for miles with Lycan hearing. Damned deafening.

Lucian sat by his bed and watched him. Drool puddled at the corner of his mouth, onto his pillow, and there were scars all over his face from sleep. The elder Lycan smiled, then kicked at the bed with his foot. Braek shot up and yelled out strange words, no doubt a language he used only in his dreams, a language that perhaps even the speaker himself couldn't decipher. Glancing around wildly, Braek's green eyes fell on Lucian. He groaned and laid himself back down, burying his face in his pillow.

"G'mornin', Lucian."

Lucian smiled at the younger Lycan. Soon after, however, his smile faded.

"Someone attacked Alex last night, said some awful things to her."

Braek sat straight up, looking at Lucian with wide eyes.

"Is she okay? Who did it, what did they say?"

"She's emotionally destroyed, but physically she's alright. She wouldn't tell me, but I could smell him. Matt attacked her, called her things like filthy, a slut, and connected these with her being a vampire. She was crying when I found her, hunched over, holding her ribs."

Braek sighed and looked at the ground.

"Poor girl…" Lucian nodded.

"I need you to take care of her. She seems to like you, and you don't seem to have a problem with her. She just needs someone she can trust right now. Can she trust you?"

Braek nodded, turning to get out of bed.

"Of course she can, Lucian. After what she's been through, I wouldn't even dream of thinking ill things about her."

Lucian smiled up at his young friend.

"Oh, and another thing, Braek…"

Braek looked up as Lucian stood, after putting a shirt on.

"See to it that Matt feels thoroughly horrid about what happened."

* * *

****

Sorry for taking so long. Writer's block, you know. :D


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